late lunches and afternoon teas
by miss carefree
Summary: Or where Sakura pops in the retired Hokage's house one afternoon to gossip. And seeks a small dose of comfort. No plot, just a ball of fluff. One-shot.


Hatake Kakashi might or might not own me. Me? I own nothing.

* * *

late lunches and afternoon teas

The knock comes some time after lunch.

The owner of the house is dozing in the backyard, a book in his chest. There is no apparent movement on his person that indicate he's heard it, much less intending to answer it.

A moment later, the front door opens, the visitor's steps come closer to the open door.

"I bring some lunch." The woman announces, holding up a bundle of deep blue cloth, a bouquet of flowers hanging from another.

His dark eyes flick open, focusing on the box covered cloth with the Uchiha fan in her hand. "It's past lunch time."

An eye-roll and barely contained exasperated huff. "Have _you_ eaten?"

They both know he hasn't. He simply shrug, dismissing the question per usual.

"I'll bring it out." She leaves to the kitchen.

On the small round table, she opens her package, revealing two bento boxes. The food is still warm and she lets it cool off a little, finding a kettle and filling it with water to boil. The flowers are put into a vase for his dining table, she finds his chopsticks and brings out one bento outside, leaving the other on the table for his dinner.

"Maa, you don't have to feed me everyday, Sakura." He says once she settles beside him on the grass.

"It's not everyday, sensei." Just once in a few weeks.

He sighs, mentally, but accepts the offered bento from her. He knows why she's here. This habit of hers only started after her father passed away a couple of years ago, a little after his own retirement. (Turns out, retired Hokages aren't allowed back on active duty and he has lots of free time on his hands these days which he spends at home and scaring the Nanadaime's ANBU and fresh jounin by checking in on their practice.)

Sakura has always been closer to her father. After his passing, her needs to fuss and care for him she lets out to her old sensei and she's silently grateful he goes along with it. It's also her subtle way of checking in and makes sure he is alive and healthy.

"So, how's Sarada?" He hears about how she follows Naruto and finally meets her absentee father from Tenzou's recent report.

"She's happy her papa's around she's become so chatty these days." A small laugh. Her little girl only leaves him alone when she's at the academy and sleeping at nights. "He's teaching her the Uchiha's basic jutsus."

He hums, both acknowledging her respond and appreciating her much improved cooking skills. Her eyes have been angled away from him, accepting that he would never eat if she so much as taking a peek. The curiosity is a familiar burn in the back of her mind, present yet ignorable.

A soft breeze caress the lush green leaves of his grown tree.

The amusement is clear in her voice as she says, "Hima-chan wants a doggie party." Her fifth birthday is in a few weeks.

He almost snorts to his food, barely keeping it from escaping. "I'd assume the doggies in question are my ninken."

"Yeah." The youngest Uzumaki is smitten with his pack since the first time she saw them taking an afternoon stroll with him a few months ago. "Has Hinata or Naruto tell you?"

"No." He deadpans, though, of course, he will agree either way. There is no way of telling the young girl no. In fact, he already plans to bring them in lieu of gift, but it seems he still needs to get something else.

Ah, he could maybe use this to ask for a mission in return, he muses. Naruto would have no choice but to grant him a neat B-rank, or even A-rank. He would not push his luck on an S-rank, though, when getting rid of his ANBU protection detail requires a verbal clearly-worded order, his last order as Hokage.

A shrill cry comes from the kitchen and she gets inside to prepare the tea. One spoon of honey and mint drops for him and one sugar and a bit of milk for her-he doesn't keep lemons around. After so many visits and meals shared together, she is quite certain she knows how everyone takes their teas.

When she returns with the tea brewing in a pot and a plate of chopped apples, he's finished his meal. She pours their tea into the prepared cups, peonies on the saucer, coming from a set her mother had given her for him years ago. It's a beautiful set, crafted by an old ceramic artisan family settling in Konoha after the fourth war. Her mother could not stop gushing about their quality and beauty, well preserved for more than three hundred years. She also bought her a set adorned in cherry blossoms and sunflowers for the then newly-wed Uzumakis.

"When Sasuke leaves again, you can tell Sarada that she can practice her Sharingan with me." He tells her, placing his cup back down. His Sharingan might have been gone, but the skills are ingrained in his brain.

He knows the Uchiha is leaving in the morning.

"Okay. She'd liked that."

She updates him on the latest gossip regulating in Konoha, whose sons and daughters are getting married, which young pre-genins breaking their bones, who has just become parents and are in their due time, and new prospective establishments opening. She mentions that Ino and Sai are trying for a second child, but leaves out on the fact that she wishes for another baby, too. She also tells him that the ladies of Konoha 12 plus Temari are planning to stay overnight at a bathing spring once they find a date (which could be as quick as in the coming week or as long as in a year).

Though, she refrains from mentioning the woman who just moved in across from her, an Academy sensei from the mostly civilian sake brewer family, Ishida. The latest addition to her list of women Kakashi-sensei should be introduced, too. She suspects she used to be one of his ANBU, as she remembers treating a Fox with a deep wound near her heart and Ishida-san has been checking in the hospital for scans and meds.

It could maybe wait until next time, she thinks.

The sun is low on west sky when she gets up to clean the dishes, their tea and snack long gone. He follows her inside and leans against the doorframe, allowing her to putter around in his kitchen like she owns it.

"Come over for dinner tomorrow?" She asks, wiping her hands with a dish towel. He nods and she smiles. "Take care, sensei, and don't forget your dinner." She stands on her tiptoes to peck his cheek.

"Aa."

* * *

Soo, I'm braving myself to post a story into this goddamn monstrous (in size) fandom because my brain is in a popping-random-fic-ideas moment these days. Including one where Kakashi is taking out Himawari for an afternoon stroll with his ninken. I couldn't finish that one, so I slip it in here a little, Hima-chan adores the dogs! (I saw a cute art of the them on tumblr earlier, but can't remember the artist.)

Anyway, hope you enjoy and have a great day!


End file.
